System for transporting materials in bulk.



v T. w. McNEILL.

SYSTEM FOR TBANSPOBTING MATERIALS IN BULK.

APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1912.

Patented Mar.10, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. W. McNEILL. SYSTEM FOR TBANSPOBTING MATERIALS IN BULK. APPLICATION IILED 001221, 1912,

1,089,851. Patented Mar. 10, 19A

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. McNEIL'L, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO REID, MURDOCH & CO.,

01' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application filed October 21, 1912. Serial No. 726,958.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS MoNnILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and. State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems for Transporting Materials in Bulk, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

7 My invention relates to improvements in systems for transporting materials in bulk.

It is especially designed for the transportation of pickles, or the like, that may be contained in brine, or other liquid, so that large quantities of such materials may be quickly handled and transported from one location to another and the brine, or other liquid, separated from such'materials, while in transit and returned to its original reservoir, or otherwise disposed of.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a system, and means of operation, whereby pickles, or the like, may be transported from one location in a factory to an other and by means of which, the pickles, or such like articles, may be loaded in proper receptacles, as in cars or on board ship.

Other and further objects of my invention will readily appear to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a. schematic arrangement in elevation, partly in section, showing my system as it appears .when in operation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical central section of a receiving tank showing parts in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a three-way valve controlling a conduit, communicating with said tank; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a dash-pot for controlling the movement of the valve.

In all the views the same reference characters indicate similar parts.

10 is a tank, or other receptacle, containin pickles in brine, or like materials, in

bu k, which may be located at any point from which it is desirable to transport the contents 11 of the tank.

12 is a hose, through which the materials are to be transported. It is connected to a conduit, or pipe 13, which may be permanently fixed in the premises, and which is provided, at proper intervals with Ts 14 and 15. The Ts that are not in use are closed by screw caps or plugs 16. A screwcap 17 is attached to one terminal of the hose 12 and is adapted for engagement with the Ts 14, whereby to connect the receiving hose to any of the Ts along the line of the pipe 13. The pipe 13, is always closed extached. A receptacle comprising a receiving tank 21 is provided with an open bottom and a closure 22 hinged thereto asat'23. The closure is provided with a packing 24, WlllCll serves to make an air tight joint between the closure and the bottom of the tank 21. A counterbalance weight 27 is adjustably secured to the lever 28 at proper dlstance from the point of .fulcrum 23 so as to substantially over-counterweight the closure 22 so that it will automatically return to normally closed position shown in full lmes in Fig. 2. An inlet nipple 30 is provided with an automatically closing valve 31, l1inged as at 32, and provided with packing 33 to provide an air tight joint between the said valve and the nipple. A hose 34 is connected to the nipple 30v and-is provided on its free end with a screw cap 35, for engagement with any one of the T openings 15.

The receiving tank 21, is connected, by means of a relatively small hose 36 with air pipe 37 which extends ooextensively with and parallel with the transporting conduit or pipe 13. The pipe 37 is provided with a series of outlets 38 controlled by globe valves 39 to which the hose 36 is adapted to be connected. An air receiver, or tank 40, referably of larger dimensions than the tank 21, is connected to the air pi. e 37, by means of a pipe 42, controlled by glo e valve 43. An air exhaust pump 44, driven by a wheel 45, is connected to the tank 40 by means of pipe 46 which is controlled by the globe valve 47. The valve 48 controls communication between the air pipe 37 and the tank 21. v

When it is desirable to transport the contents of the receptacle 10, which may be located at any convenient distance, communication is established between the tank 40 and the tank 21 by means of the valve 48 and as the air has been all substantially exhausted from the tank 40, by means of the exhaust pump 44, there will be sufiicient difference of pressure established between the exterior of the system and the interior thereof, to cause the pickles, or other materials.

contained in the receptacle 10, to ascend the hose 12 into the transporting pipe 13 and through the said pipe to the hose 34, which may be located at a remote distance from receptacle 10, into the tank 21, opening the valve 31 and filling the tank. As soon as the substantial vacuum has been established in the tank 21 the closure 22 will be held firmly upon its seat, by the diiierence between the exterior and interior pressure, with sufficient force to hold and support the weight of the contents of the tank 21. The tank ispivotally supported on lever 50 as at 51, which lever is pivoted to a carrier 52 as at 53. The outer end 54, of the lever 50, is connected by pivoted links 55 and 56 to the valve 48. In the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the valve 48 is so turned that the ports 59 and 60, (Fig. 3) provide a clear opening between the hose 36 and the tank 21, so that practically all of the air that has been contained in the tank 21 is immediately drawnout, by virtue of the partial vacuum established in the tank 21, into the tank 40 and it is immediately pumped from the tank 40 by means of the pump 44 thereby establishing substantially a practical vacuum in the transporting conduit system.

When the tank 21 has been sufficiently filled with the articles the said tank and contents will substantially counterbalance, oroverbalance, a weight 61 which is aajustable along the end 62 of the lever 50, the weight 61 will be lifted, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, until the lever 50 is brought into contact with the stop 78., at which time the valve 48 will be so moved that the port 63 will register with the opening in the elbow 64 and the port will register with the outside atmosphere through the pipe 65 and closing the opening communicating with the hose 36 and the vacuum tank 40, thus breaking the vacuum, or releasing the pressure within the tank 21. After this has been done the closure 22 will be no longer held upon its seat 24, of the tank 21 and the weight of the-contents will cause the closure to open, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, emptying the contents of the tank 21 upon a perforated, inclined table, or platform 66. The pickles, or other materials that are being transported, and were at this time contained in the receptacle or tank 21, will therefore be deposited upon the incline 66 from which they immediately roll or fall upon the conveyor 67, which may be driven by the pulley 68, or other suitable means, and will be carried by such conveyor to a desired destination. The liquid passing through the perforated platform or table 66, will be entrained through the pipe 69 back to the original receptacle, or other convenient disposition may be made of it, while 65 the pickles delivered to the conveyer 67 will be in substantially a dry state in which condition they may be delivered to a receptacle in the factory, a cart, or to a car or other receptacle provided for them. After the closure 22 has been opened, in the manner substantiall as described, the valve 31 will be automatlcally seated and by this means the contents of the hose 12, and of the pipe 13, will remain undisturbed, otherwise the contents of these receptacles would be im- .mediately discharged into or returned to .the reservoir from which they had been removed, and the etiiciency of the operation would be somewhat afi'ected. As soon as the closure 22 is relieved of the weight of the pickles, or other materials being transported, the counterbalance weight 27 will return it to its normal position closing the tank 21. It, however, requires some time for the closure to be returned and I, therefore, provide a retarding mechanism to delay the return of the tank 21 so that the closure 22 may have suiiicient time in which to be properly sea-ted upon the lower opening provided in the bottom of the tank 21. To this end I provide a dash-pot 70, having a piston 71, connected by means of a link 72 to the lever 5.0, as at 74. where it is pivotally securedto the lever. It is also pivotally secured to the piston 71 as at 73. At the bottom of the cylinder 7 0 is an air flap valve 75 normally covering an air opening 76. During the time when the tank 21 is descending this flap opens and permits air through the passage 76 to freely enter the cylinder and thus prevent the retarding effect that would be otherwise produced by means of the dash-pot. When the tank, or receptacle 21 is returning, however, to normal position after having been emptied. of its contents as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the flap valve will be seated and the air within the cylinder 70 will slowly leak through the pet cook 77 which is provided for this purpose, so that the time required for the receptacle to reach its normal upward position may be varied by means of adjustment of the pet cock 77. A. stop 7 8 retains the lever 50 in a predetermined position, so that the weight 61 can not raise the receptacle farther than a prescribed distance allowed by this stop. As soon as the closure 22 has returned to its normal closed position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the valve 48 will be again opened, as shown in Fig. 3, establishing communication between the vacuum tank 40 and the tank 21 there by withdrawing substantially all of the air contained in the tank 21 and once more establishing a partial vacuum therein which will have the effect to, discharge the contents of the hose 12 and 34 and the pipe 13 and cause other material to pass throughv this conduit until the tank 21 is again filled, when the same operations will be performed and such operations will continue, automatically to be performed, so long as there is sufficient material within the tank 10 to maintain the substantial vacuum established within the transporting conduit.

A gage glass 79, is provided in the air receiver 40 so that any entrained water that may pass over and through the tank 21 into this receiver may be instantly indicated through the glass and the contents of the tank removed.

An I beam track 80 is maintained in substantial parallelism with the pipes 13 and 37 and extends coextensively therewith, so

that the tank 21, when disconnected from the respective pipes may be moved along the I beam, by means of the trolley or carrier 52 to-suitable positions for communication with other openings in the said pipes and for delivery of the pickles or other materials to other selected points.

While I have herein described a single embodiment of my invention it is apparent I that many changes may be made in the spe- I said receptacle, a material-receiver open at cific construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. A system of the character described, comprising, in part, a materialconveying pipe, a receptacle formaterials to be conveyed, means for connecting said pipe and the bottom and having a materials inlet port connected to said pipe, and air exhaust means for said receiver, a valve for said ort cont-rolling communication between sai receiver and conveying pipe, a valve for closing the bottom opening of said receiver by operation of atmospheric pressure and supporting the contents of said receiver, and means operated by the contents of said receiver for admitting air therein and thereby relieving theatmospheric pressure to permit the bottom valve to open by the weight of the contents of said receiver and seat the valve for the inlet port.

2. A system of the. character described, comprising, in part a material-conveying pipe having a p uraiity of closable openings therein, and an air exhaust pipe having** a plurality of closable openings therein, a troley trac coextensive and parallel with said pipes, a material-receiver aving means for connection to both said pipes and having a trolley for cooperation with said track whereby said receiver maybe moved from place to place thereon, an atmospheric seated valve for closing a discharge opening in said receiver and for supporting the contents thereof, a valve for controllin ,communication between said receiver an said air exhaust means, and means operated by the contents, of said receiver for closing said exhaust valve and for opening communication between said receiver and the atmosphere, thereby permitting the discharge valve to open and discharge the contents of said receiver.

3. A system of the character described-for handling materials carried in a fluid medium, comprising, in part, a material container, a materials conveying pipe connected thereto, a material-receiver connected to said conveying pipe, an air-exhaust pipe communicating with said receiver, a valve controlling said communication between the exhaust pipe and receiver, an air admitting valve, a closure for the bottom of said receiver, means responsive to presence of predetermined amount of material in said receptacle to operate the air-controllingvalves thereto, a check valve closing toward the material-conveying pipe, and means to catch material and liquid discharged from said bottom opening upon admission of air to said receiver.

I 4. A system of the character described,

comprisinggin par-t, an air-exhaust ipe, a materialconveying pipe, a receiver aving communication with said two pipes, a valve for controlling communication to the airexhaust pipe, a closure for the receiver, means to support said receiver for movement operable upon admission of air to the receiver by the weight of a predetermined amount of contained. material, said means com rising a weighted lever, means for pivotal y connecting said receiver to said lever, and means for operation of said valve upon movement of said receiver, means to return the closure to closed position after opening,

and a retard means, whereby the closure is moved to closed position before the openin of communication between the receiver an the exhaust pipe.

5. A system of the character described,- 

